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Tag: 2015

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Attorney General, which regulations his Office introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Office expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

    Robert Buckland

    The Attorney General’s Office has not introduced any regulations as a result of EU legislation over the past three years and has no plans to do so during the next two years.

  • Graham Stuart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Graham Stuart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stuart on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Government has to increase the number of students studying Spanish in schools.

    Nick Gibb

    Since September 2014, maintained primary schools in England must teach a modern or ancient foreign language to pupils at key stage 2 (ages 7 to 11). According to the annual language trends surveys conducted by the Centre for British Teachers, 20 per cent of primary schools taught Spanish in 2014, up from 16 per cent in 2012. In order to support the new curriculum, the government is funding nine projects across the country providing continued professional development for primary and secondary teachers, including training and resources for the teaching of Spanish.

    The government took action in 2010 to halt the decline in the number of school children taking language GCSEs by introducing the English Baccalaureate. This has had a positive effect on the take up of languages in schools. The proportion of the cohort in state funded schools entered for a modern foreign language has risen from 40 per cent in 2010 to 49 per cent in 2015. Over the same period, there has been a 46 per cent rise in the number of entries for Spanish GCSE in schools in England.

    The government’s goal is that, in time, at least 90 per cent of pupils enter GCSEs in the EBacc subjects of English, maths, science, humanities and languages.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the likely cost of establishing and running his extended ministerial office.

    Matthew Hancock

    The costs of running all parts of the Cabinet Office will be accounted for in the Department’s annual report and accounts.

  • Liam Fox – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Liam Fox – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Fox on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the payment window for the single farm payment and basic payment will open.

    George Eustice

    The payment window for the Basic Payment Scheme 2015 runs between 1st December 2015 and 30th June 2016.

    We received around 88,000 Basic Payment Scheme applications for 2015. On the 1st December, the opening of the Basic Payment Scheme 2015 payment window, we paid around 33,000 claims. This means that, as a proportion, around 62% of claims are still being processed.

  • Mark Durkan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Durkan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will ensure that any agreement on a central registry of beneficial ownership in the Cayman Islands will include access for the public with legitimate reason.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the answer given by my Rt Hon Friend, the Member for South West Hertfordshire (David Gauke MP), the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, to questions 10437, 10438 and 10448, which sets out the criteria we expect the Overseas Territories to meet in relation to their central register of company beneficial ownership, or similarly effective system.

    We are continuing our dialogue with the Anguilla authorities on this and have offered any technical support that might be required as they develop their proposals.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on the emergency services mobile communications programme.

    Mike Penning

    The purpose of the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) is to deliver a mobile communications network for use principally by the Emergency Services – the Emergency Services Network (ESN). The ESN will deliver integrated critical voice and broadband data services to all three emergency services (3ES) and other users throughout England, Wales and Scotland. The aim is to provide a mobile communications network capable of providing the full coverage, resilience, security and public safety functionality required by the 3ES.

    The procurement of the ESN is divided in 3 main procurement lots supplemented by a number of related projects. The contract for Lot 1 – Delivery Partner was awarded to Kellogg Brown and Root in August 2015 . The Home Office announced it’s intention to award contracts to Motorola – Lot 2 User Services and EE Lot 3 Mobile Services on 13th November 2015. The procurement process was halted following a legal challenge by Airwave Solutions Limited, the incumbent supplier, on 23 November 2015, the last day of the 10 day standstill period. The Home Office submitted an application to lift the automatic suspension of the procurement and had been working with Counsel preparing for a hearing in the High Court on 8th and 9th Dec.

    On Saturday 5th December, the Home Office was informed that ASL would no longer contest the Home Office application to lift the suspension and that subject to the consent order being agreed by the Court today, the Home Office will seek to sign contracts with Motorola and EE on 8th December. This will then start the Mobilisation phase of the programme during which the network will be designed, built and tested over a 21 month period. The 3ES will start to use the network from late 2017 following extensive tests and trials.

  • Nigel Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nigel Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the reasons were for the Ministry of Defence Police withholding a Special Investigation Branch report of Lt. Col. Jolleys’ circumstances from a fraud trial in which he was convicted of failing to declare changes to his circumstances.

    Mark Lancaster

    A Special Investigation Branch Report was served as evidence at Lt Col Jolleys’ trial and was provided to his Defence team pre-trial.

    It will take time to gather the further information and I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2015 to Question 17301, what proportion of (a) males aged 16 to 24, (b) males aged 16 to 18, (c) males aged 19-20, (d) males aged 21-22, (e) males aged 23-24, (f) women aged 16 to 18, (g) women aged 19-20, (h) women aged 21-22 and (i) women aged 23 to 34 had been unemployed for more than 12 months on the latest date for which figures are available.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the merits of exempting operators of electricity storage from Balanced Services Use of System charges.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department and Ofgem are jointly considering the need to address the legislative status of storage, which has potential implications for the charging regime for storage. Ofgem have recently published “Making the electricity system more flexible and delivering the benefits for consumers”, in which they state, “While storage has been providing flexibility in other countries, and pumped storage has historically played a strong role in GB, the potential of battery and other forms of storage to smooth intermittent generation or contribute to local balancing has not yet been fully realised in the UK… We will therefore: undertake work with DECC to clarify the legal and commercial status of storage and explore whether changes to the regulatory and commercial framework are needed to enable its efficient use, seeking input on options from stakeholders. Where changes are needed, they will be informed by considering the interactions and implications of a new regulatory framework for storage on all segments of the market”:

    https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2015/09/flexibility_position_paper_final_0.pdf.

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  • Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average response time to dwelling fires was for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service in 2013-14.

    Mike Penning

    I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Office.

    Information on average response times to dwelling fires for each fire and rescue service and for each year is available in Table 3b of the Department’s Fire incidents response times: England publication at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fire-incidents-response-times-england-2014-to-2015

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